A 2003 study, led by Heather Frederick, showed that even a gradual decline in lung function due to advanced age cannot be bad enough for elderly divers to take the plunge into the waters.
In the study, the researchers used hyperbaric (high-pressured) chambers to simulate the effects of diving at a depth of 60 feet underwater as tools to measure lung performance of elder divers as against young divers. The responses of a group of 10 healthy people, ranging in age from 19 to 39, was compared to another group of healthy older adults aged 58 to 74. None of the divers had a history of lung or heart disease.